And sometimes, it's only the characters who seem like clones from another work. If you're clone hunting, you've come to the right place.

If one character is an obvious Expy or a Captain Ersatz then they don't belong here. Here, we should experiment with finding some less obvious, and probably nonexistent connections, through wordplay, and selective examples of plot points or character traits.

Also, if the similarities have been noticed by a Vocal Minority of at least one fandom, then it counts as a Counterpart Comparison. Here, we're looking for non-judgemental comparisons by enterprising Tropers who see things that are not so obvious.

This page deals where just the characters are similar; the plots do not have to be similar. For cases where the plot is similar, go to Surprisingly Similar Stories.

Compare Paint The Hero Black and the Villain Whitewashing Service. As with both of those pages, please sign your entries.note By making your own subhead in alphabetical order by Troper. Bonus Points if you find out that a hero in one story would be a villain in another.

Spoilers ahead! Mostly unmarked, so read at your own risk.

Examples:

open/close all folders

Entries from Other Sites

These two leaders live in a world of moral absolutes and racist undertones and will lead their chosen nations against a veritable tyrant. But first, they need to get their swords fixed. Aragorn and Martin; as expressed by XKCDhere.

She's a character from an ultra-successful sci-fi show that reached mainstream recognition. She's a hot red-headed medical doctor who has bucketloads of UST with her colleague. She's wears a badge, a weapon, and is prone to get seriously injured in her line of work. She's a single mother and her child displays prodigious tendencies. Her boss is bald and awesome, she has a posse of geeky and brilliant males at her disposal, and her close female friend is a brunette psychic. Both she and her love interest have been abducted by aliens. Beverly Crusher of Star Trek: The Next Generation or Dana Scully of The X-Files? The picture on this page lists part of it; more similarities are to be found in this video.

This male character is small, cute, non-human sidekick in a beloved Disney animated feature. Unlike some other Disney sidekicks, he not only provides comic relief, but gives good advice to the naive protagonist and serves as his/her conscience. The protagonist tends to ignore him, but though this upsets him, he (usually) stays loyal to him/her anyway. He is an excellent singer/musician and sings possibly the most famous song from the movie. The protagonist he tries to help is also non-human (though a different species than he is), but wants to become human, and finally does in the end; (s)he also has big blue eyes, and is the child of a single father, whom (s)he leaves behind for a while, but eventually reunites with. An important part of their adventures takes place under the sea. Jiminy Cricket or Sebastian? (inspired by this link)

A powerful man who once was a morally superior good guy gets seduced by a greater evil power. He becomes very evil himself, even though some doubt it has happened. He leads part of a huge army and is the public face for the larger evil that is widely feared but stays hidden for most of the time. In the end he inevitably meets his downfall by betrayal. Also, the man is played by Christopher Lee. Is this man Count Dooku or Saruman the White? (Darths & Droidsbreaks it down.)

The partner to the main protagonist (and the one most often paired with them in fan ships) this character favors water/ice themed attacks and is remarkably skilled. Having had a difficult childhood due to constant attacks from family enemies, she can be bossy at times, and has to come to terms with her grudge against the loner of the main group of heroes. Weiss or Katara? (Detailed in this picture)

Teenage girl from a popular animation with strong flower symbolism, who lives in an Asian country, cuts her hair short, becomes a crossdresser and pretends to be a guy to join all-male group with handsome male leader, who serves as her Love Interest and does't realize the truth until she is seen partially nude. This blog notes that this describtion fits both Haruhi and Mulan.

An ambitious, deceptively intelligent teenager takes refuge with (and later becomes leader of) a tough, self-sufficient tribe of nomads who believe his/her existence is prophesied. The teenager uses this tribe as a stepping stone to greater power, conquering many people with it and becoming The Dreaded. They bear great hatred towards the cruel, gluttonous man who murdered their parents, and their ultimate goal is to reclaim their rightful place in society. Unfortunately, their powerful status and willingness to commit atrocities in order to achieve said goal also results in many despising them and the lack of any real friends. They struggle with feelings of loneliness and failure. Both of these characters come from noble bloodlines, and their families' sigils are both a winged animal of some kind. Daenerys Targaryen or Paul Atreides?

The viewpoint character is a brash, fearless Action Girl who's been, since childhood, the bodyguard of a compassionate, supernaturally empowered Spoiled Sweet. The latter girl is heir to a noble family, and is attacked frequently by rival members of the aristocracy. Their intertwined subplots involve the Action Girl learning to balance her devotion to duty with her desire for romance and a normal life, and the heiress becoming truly independent, overcoming the machinations of those who try to manipulate her and learning how to use her incredible healing abilities. Both stories have a truckload of Les Yay. Rose Hathaway and Lissa Dragomir or Setsuna and Konoka?

A rebellious, redheaded teenage girl bickers and then falls in love with a Troubled, but Cute brunette, despite her father killing hisfather years before. The brunette is unfairly distrusted by his fellow felines because of his parentage, but all ends well: he finds happiness with the redhead and eventually becomes next-in-line to be leader. Are these felines lions or cats?

A group of quirky teenagers with various Dark and Troubled Pasts fight against fate and their own madness as they learn about life, themselves, and the Power of Friendship. They are led in this by a Hot-Blooded boy who is hiding a Dark Secret from them, which they eventually learn about and accept. One of the teenage girls is a ghost who was killed tragically by a loved one and struggles with feelings of bitterness and futility. She looks normal, for the most part, but has ram horns on her head. Another is very skilled at combat, and acts proud and tough to hide her feelings of insecurity and regret- which were partially caused by an abusive family member. She loves playing games, but cheats all the time. The other kids find it difficult to trust her. This is a very long, very complex story where Anyone Can Die- but it also makes use of Death Is Cheap and cosmic Reset Buttons. The plot has many horror elements, but is ultimately quite idealistic. Are the teenagers human or trolls?

A famous warrior and huntress falls in love on the battlefield with a compassionate blond boy who has a gift for strategy. The huntress staunchly protects him from the attacks of their teenaged peers, yet has difficulty expressing the emotions she feels for him. Katniss and Peeta or Pyrrha and Jaune?

A black-haired, stonefaced girl devotes herself to protecting a Childhood Friend who saved her life when they were young. She does this partly to repay them and partly to give purpose to her life, which has been exceedingly traumatic up till now: the world she lives in is not a pleasant one. The fans commonly argue whether her feelings for this person are romantic, though a confession of love which comes late in the story implies that they are. Mikasa or Homura?

A person who, despite wanting to live a normal life, was forced as a youth to become a player in a conflict between two ancient groups, who have been quarreling for centuries over what should be done with some of the most powerful forces known to their worlds. This person is originally trained by an older mentor who is related to one of their parents as to how to effectively oppose the more villainous group, though this same mentor is eventually killed by one of the villainous group's leading figures. Over the course of their first major adventure, this person is also aided, supported and even admired by nearly everyone sympathetic to their cause, so they find it quite a surprise when they reach the end that they are not the most crucial figure in their own crusade, but that said title instead corresponds to someone they barely know anything about, in a scene that ends up making them feel like a glorified errand boy despite everything they've been through. Even after this, they still manage to find the determination to keep leading the heroes and continue their struggle for justice, despite being noticeably more jaded by their experience. April Ryan or Ezio Auditore?

A geriatric old man with a speech impediment and an extremely unpleasant demeanour who is almost always seen sitting down. He finds himself surrounded by criminals in multiple occasions. In his youth, he was an overzealous supporter of a powerful group, and became widely feared along those who knew of his activities. Father Jack Hackett or Hector Salamanca?

A female of an aquatic species falls in love with a handsome human prince, promptly saves his life, and becomes a human girl. She is a wonderful dancer, but she can never profess her love to the prince, and is destined to dissolve into nothing. The prince becomes very close to her, but he falls in love with another girl (who was once mistaken for her). She ultimately gives up her human form so that the prince can keep his heart intact; it's implied that she might be able to become human again, someday. Is she a Duck or a Mermaid?

A seemingly ordinary young woman meets a Time Traveler and is promptly drawn into a series of adventures, generally involving fighting monsters. As time goes on, she discovers that the time traveler met her more than once before, and every time they met, she died (naturally, she has no memory of these occasions). However, when her friend is threatened by a great evil, she makes a Heroic Sacrifice to stop it, resulting in her appearing at various points in time and space to stop said evil. Clara Oswald or Madoka Kaname?

A rifle-wielding old man doggedly hunts down a wild canine protagonist. He has a loyal hunting dog (named after the color of one of its features), but unbeknownst to him, the dog befriends his quarry. In one scene, the hunter has his rifle aimed at the protagonist, but the dog steps in between them to protect its friend. The hunter finally sees that he was in the wrong when his would-be quarry steps in to save him. Is he hunting wolves or a fox?

A pair of siblings with contrasting personalities - one is Hot-Blooded and a bit naive, while the other is more stoic and responsible. They lose their parents as part of their backstory, and despite outward appearances are extremely close to each other. They share an Undying Loyalty for one another and would stop at nothing to ensure the other's safety. One sibling has a strange and potentially dangerous power that the other sibling didn't know about until recently, and that they don't know how to quite control. The non-powered sibling doesn't think any less of the other because of their power, even if it's nearly gotten the former killed at least once. Both are primary characters in their story. Either it's Anna and Elsa or Mikasa and Eren.

Chabal2

A white-haired member of the ruling elite with incredible powers over fire, who appear to never grow older than the day they entered a different plane of existence, and now spends their time rescuing people from a supernatural forest... Uncle Iroh or Fujiwara no Mokou?

This bearded starship captain is a Recycled In Space version of a character from mythology. He carries a Laser Blade and commands the flagship of the fleet, which is also named as a reference to the myth. His egalitarian attitude leads mystic forces to plot against him in order to maintain their control. Is he Arthur, King of Time and Space or Ulysses 31?

This character exists in multiple time periods due to contact with a powerful artefact that breaches the space-time continuum. These periods include the present day, the 19th century and space in the far future. In all periods the character has a connection to a mysterious Eccentric Mentor and together they fight evil forces. The present day version has a close bond to a former soldier. Clara Oswald or Arthur, King of Time and Space again?

This stretchy superhero is married to a woman named Sue. Although he is famed for having a keen intellect in a specific field, she's generally portrayed as the more sensible of the two. In their comics, they travel a lot more than most superheroes. They were both members of a superhero team that also included a guy made of inorganic matter. Mr Fantastic or Elongated Man?

This comic book character comes from old money but had a tragic childhood, including a trauma involving seeing a nightmarish creature in the family mansion. This had a profound effect on him and he grew up to use this creature as a totem. He's an obsessive character who sometimes seems to be a different person when he wears his totem mask. The company that bears his name is a key player in the technology industry, which allows him to use its resources to build his weapons. He's appeared to die, and his costumed identity has become a Legacy Character, other users of which have included his son, whom he has a difficult relationship with. However because Status Quo Is God, he always reclaims the mantle eventually. His enemies include a spider-based character who was voiced in an animated series by Josh Keaton. In a major The New Tens story he formed an organisation of people in variants of his costume, who at one point fought a supposedly heroic organisation with a spider-motif that was secretly run by a villain. Batman or Norman Osborn?

A largely innocent character meets a seemingly cold hearted badass of the same gender and they fall in love. Unfortunately the laws of magic in this universe mean that one way or another they will have to kill each other. To fix this the innocent character makes a Faustian pact and ascends to godhood in order to rewrite the laws of the universe to save their loved one. Madoka and Homura or Rook and Chess?

Diamonddmgirl

This character has neglectfull financially abusive parents. Even the creaters can't agree on who they should hook up with, which is perfectly understandable when the main options are a snob who can be a total jerk at times and a Stalker with a Crush. ElizaDoolittle or Timmy Turner?

DibKyle

This Nicktoons character's name begins with a Z. He is a loyal and often overconfident warrior of a proud empire led by a power-hungry and sadistic figure in red. Said Tyrant is furious with this character's actions against orders, and has sent him on a far away mission thought impossible. He is accompanied on his journey by a seemingly harmless sidekick who would much rather be relaxing and having his favorite food than aiding him (and whose name contains the letters IR), although they do care for one another. His archenemy is a hyperactive and heroic boy with a strange looking head. Others seeking his goal include a far more competent and ruthless female rival who enjoys tormenting him, as well as a stout, overconfident, and unlucky soldier who has survived an encounter with a giant animal. Despite his huge ego and obsession with regaining his ruler's respect, he has often found himself allying with his enemy. Zuko or Zim?

DomaDoma

He's a charming, sociopathic manipulator out for an inheritance. He's willing to kill to get it, but he's not willing to get his hands dirty in the process. In victory, he has a thing for gloating and mood-lighting. Granada!Culverton Smith, Light Yagami, or Hans?

Donald The Potholer

We have a pair of siblings of the same sex. The elder sibling uses magic in such a way that people think that they are a monster. Indeed, they Summon a fierce beast at one point. At another point, they each decide "there is No Place For Me" in their world. Also, the elder sibling is rather Aloof and has White Hair. The younger sibling is rather idealistic and pure, even in the face of a betrayal by someone (else) that they trust, seeking out their elder to set things to rights even after the elder abandons the younger. And when they find said elder sibling, the elder sibling attacks and injures the younger; before sending out the summoned monster. Oh, and by the point of the abandonment, their parents are already dead. Finally, one of the two siblings becomes the ruler of a realm. Is the ruler the older sister or the younger brother?

This level boss, whose lair is on the top of a tower, prides themself on theirspeed, was a former companion of the protagonist, and looks forward to the coming battle against him. Boomer Kuwanger or Korinna ofShalour?

Earriorwatcher

Born good, a great evil is forced upon him soon after his first appearance. This evil destroys all good within him. He eventually takes a new name, leaving behind the original one. The person that forced the evil upon him is slain, but he carries on and creates an army with the aim of taking over the world. He seems to have won, but a surprise blast of light and fire allows the heroes to destroy the evil that corrupted him. He is fatally wounded but gets to die as himself. Now, was the evil forced upon him as a baby or asan adult?

ErikS

They reside in a dangerous forest of which the locals are terrified, within a cave-like home. They hail from a country far away and is clearly of a different ethnicity than the natives. Being genuinely badass, their actions have saved both local villages and whole nations. They are thought to be dangerous supernatural creatures, but that's just local superstition. Are we talking about The Phantom or Zecora?

This work of gritty live-action media is set in various locations near the US\Mexican border, and violence is an expected part of many characters' lives. The lead duo consists of an attractive, Good Is Not Nice, fair-haired white American who earns a living finding criminals and a more extroverted, affable, but at times underhanded Mexican man. The American is determined, very competent, and emotionally distant, but gets a Pet the Dog scene that involves comforting a minor character on the verge of death. While this is by no means a domestic drama, the Mexican character gets additional character development via interacting with family members. And there's plenty of violent death. Are they Sonya Cross and Marco Ruiz in The Bridge US or Blondie and Tuco in The Good The Bad And The Ugly?

An American remake of a premise from Northwestern Europe. It's about a mystery-solving duo where the members are of different nationalities, ethnicities, genders, and neurotypes. The American half of the partnership is a woman. One of the partners has an Ambiguous Disorder with many features of autism. This character isn't close to many people, but does have a good relationship with the local Reasonable Authority Figure police lieutenant. This character takes their shirt off in the first episode. The darker-haired partner is most likely neurotypical, has better social skills, and is shown interacting with their family. The two are not romantically involved. Together, they solve murders! Sonya Cross and Marco Ruiz in The Bridge US or Sherlock Holmes and Joan Watson in Elementary?

A Cold War era homoerotic bromance ends tragically when the depth of the friends' ideological differences becomes clear, and one of the guys winds up getting shot. Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr in X-Men: First Class or Jim Prideaux and Bill Haydon in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy?

The sibling and partner of a beloved goddess is corrupted and turns into an intimidating, gothy villain who exemplifies Dark Is Evil. They're then banished to a dark, faraway realm, but set free by an astronomical event. Princess Luna or Zon-Kuthon?

An iconic duo in British popular fiction, consisting of a multitalented man who is far smarter than most of the other people in the cast, and his less intellectually brilliant devoted chronicler, who typically narrates their adventures. The genius, while never a true Villain Protagonist, can get into Good Is Not Nice or Manipulative Bastard territory at times. The chronicler is likable and popular with women, but his relationship with the genius outlasts any of his romances. Together, they're the most famous creations of a prolific author, and their adventures have been adapted into a Granada TV series. Sherlock Holmes and John Watson or Bertie Wooster and Jeeves?

He's capable of feats none of his contemporaries can match, and his assistance is frequently sought out by those around him. He's a canonical Celibate Hero (although his love life has been the subject of some controversial extracanonical speculations) with a devoted friend and follower named John, and an association with a woman named Mary M. He makes a dramatic return from the dead after three standard units of time. The stories of his life and activities have become major influential texts in Western culture and spawned a devoted following around the world, as well as inspiring many fictional imitators and homages. In visual adaptations, he's normally depicted with dark hair. Sherlock Holmes or Jesus of Nazareth?

She's a beautiful Roma woman with innate mystical abilities and a fondness for revealing red outfits. While her powers are impressive, she normally works with a mixed group of companions rather than as a solo operator. Seoni the iconic sorceress or the Scarlet Witch?

The main good guys are the blondDork Knight protagonist, a Badass Normal flyboy, and a petite, snarky Action Girl. The leader of the bad guys is an older white man in an influential political position, but the villain who carries the most emotional weight is his Dragon, a black-clad masked cyborg with a strong past connection to the protagonist. The protagonist and the Action Girl develop a strong bond over the course of the story, but do not ultimately become a romantic couple. Luke, Han, Leia, Palpatine, and Vader from the Star Wars Original Trilogy, or Steve, Sam, Natasha, Pierce, and the Winter Soldier from Captain America: The Winter Soldier?

Two characters from live-action media inspired by Marvel Comics. They're both orphans with Dark And Troubled Pasts and belong to superpowered branches of humanity. Both of them wind up making friends with a cute British scientist who has a more innocent worldview. Both characters' mothers were murdered by a Faux Affably Evil Nazi scientist with a special interest in superpowered people - and during the stories' "present day" said Nazi looks far younger than he should for someone who was an adult with advanced scientific training during World War II. Erik Lehnsherr in X-Men: First Class or Skye in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.?

He's a good-hearted but awkward and dorky young man with asthma, raised by a single mom, who worked as a nurse. He gains superpowers that cure his ailments and make him more physically impressive, but also vastly complicate his life. He remains an awkward dork even with superpowers, which is part of his charm. Despite his social awkwardness, he becomes the leader and moral compass of a group of superpowered people. While he's a very kind person with a strong moral compass (to the point of Incorruptible Pure Pureness), he's not gratuitously violent, and he's devoted to his friends, he is not a pushover and he can kick ass if he thinks he has to. He's in love with a dark-haired Action Girl and associated with the colors red and blue - appropriate, since he can be considered his fictional universe's equivalent to Superman. Scott McCall or SteveRogers?

He's a Fish out of Water - modern America is not his milieu of origin, but it's the setting for his most recent adventures. He's brave, good-hearted, conscientious, competent, has a strong moral compass, and possesses greater-than-average resistance to falling damage. He is also a total dork. While he is very physically fit and classic square-jawed, broad-shouldered, matinee-idol handsome, and many women in-universe find him attractive, he is by no means a skirt-chaser. He did fall for a beautiful, dangerous, and determined brunette woman, but it ended badly. He also gets plenty of Ho Yay with a couple of close male friends. Benton Fraser or Steve Rogers?

The protagonist is a thoroughly selfless school student who can only find satisfaction in helping others, and has an idealistic view on the world. Another (more popular) major character is an enigmatic, aloof, and ruthless individual whose motivation is unknown and whose powers are mysterious and kept hidden (because they are very revealing of their user's past). They oppose the ideals of the protagonist and aren't afraid to voice this, often coming into clashes with the protagonist's friends whenever they do so. Eventually, the major character turns out to have come from the future, and their past is revealed; they were once kind and wide-eyed themselves, and knew the protagonist very well in their timeline, but tragic events and circumstances left them bitter and broken. And their ultimate motive, which they will pursue to no end and through many timelines, is to prevent the protagonist from making a tempting contract that offers them a chance to help others but will ultimately bring them nothing but ruin. (On a side note, the major character is sometimes shown with a bow, but more often than not uses a completely different kind of weapon - en masse, sometimes.) Are the protagonist and major character, respectively, Madoka Kaname and Homura Akemi? Or are they Shirou Emiya and Archer?

Known for being a cold and calculating genius, though most certainly capable of turning up the volume at times, and his charisma commanded the attention of a most ragtag force. He was surrounded by a fair number of eager women yet had several outstanding moments of Ho Yay, though he placed far more importance on tactics and warfare than he ever did sexual relations. Family-wise, his mother was a powerful influence on him, had a most complicated relationship with his domineering father, and was close with his little sister who ended up losing the ability to walk. Despite his own forces rebelling against him, he came to rule a vast and mighty empire at a young age, yet died at a young age too. Held an odd connection with a certain thunder god (or along those lines), and there was definitely something about one of his eyes. Alexander the Great or Lelouch Lamperouge?

The Deuteragonist was the top student back in his academy days, and many of the female cast expressed interest in him, but pays them no mind. He's about to put his past behind him until his big brother, a criminal, is mentioned in his presence. From there, he behaves very differently towards his brother as opposed to the rest of the cast. Along the way, he gets manipulated by a snake-themed villain and eventually defects from his government. Eventually, he softens up as the story progresses. Jin Kisaragi or Sasuke Uchiha?

This government agency has a militaristic root, features wings and shield as one of its insignia, receive tiny amount of budget but have awesome and expensive gears such as pseudo jetpacks and the fastest transportation method known to man note As of 2013 and what is revealed , members are universally recognized as the best of the best but few would want to join the agency itself due to high death rate and low pay rate, have few political allies, play as a political football a dozen times in the course of about 100 years of history since its inception, have research halted due to Obstructive Bureaucrat, a blue eyed, strong leader who contributed a lot to the agency and pull it thru the political field, combat against the environment, certain jobs have high death rates and deaths that do occur is moaned by the survivors as a sacrifice for the benefit of humanity, the research done by the agency range from machinery to biology and many useful spinoff came about due to the research, and is adored by civilians much more than other parts of the government. The uniform associated with the agency is a derivative of blue (or depending on the classification, green). Is this organization Survey Corps or NASA/NACA?

This Ho Yay filled relationship takes place in a quite dark anime/manga where the plot revolves around organic Humongous Mecha defending a city from monsters. One person has extremely low self-esteem, a dead mother and a cold and distant father who is a key element in the mostly-unreleased conspiracy and has ties to the trueBig Bad, and a key motivation for them is winning the approval of those around them. The other person was their only genuine source of love (up until The Reveal), has a shrouded-in-mystery past, is one of the monsters attacking the city in the first place, and has Screw Destiny as a motivation. As a consequence of The Reveal, they're separated, utterly breaking the heroic half. Are we talking about Kaworu and Shinji here, or Ymir and Christa?

This man hunts man-eating monsters for a living, is considered The Ace, in-universe as well as out, is typically emotionless and cold, shows hints of sadism against his enemies, and is popular enough to get his own spinoff manga.His sheer badassness and mysterious origins have fueled MANY Epileptic Trees about him being something more than human and in one case, they were right. He first met the amnesiacPro-Human Transhuman protagonist by beating the absolute SHIT out of him, yet he later becomes a valuable mentor to the main character (almost a Parental Substitute.) Arima Kishou or Levi?

Circumstances force these two very incompatible college students to become roommates. The first is a genius bookworm with green skin who is constantly teased and ostracized by most of the school but ignores it, choosing to focus not on being popular but on achieving a career where "when people see me, they will scream!" The second (known mostly by a nickname) is a highly-popular and rather powerful student from a well-known family who easily/instantly wins everyone else's respect as easily as the first earns their scorn. Their intense loathing for each other, however, eventually evolves into deep friendship. The second achieves their ambitious dream. The first becomes the ally of their society's outcasts and never gives up on their chosen path, despite never winning (not in the way they always planned, at least). The climax comes when the first has to flee a troop of people hunting them. Are they Elphaba and Glinda or their Spear CounterpartsMike and Sully?

A scoundrel achieves wealth and power by creating a media empire where the truth is not even a concern and the Number 1 priority is destroying enemies, spreading propaganda, controlling public opinion, and weaving a net that allows him to control anything and everything. It works — he becomes powerful, feared, and hated and able to afford anything and everything, from a mansion to beautiful women... only to realize that all his wealth and power hasn't made him happy. Citizen Kane or Gail Wynand's sub-plot of The Fountainhead?

This professional wrestler debuted in WWE on the Smack Down brand. He never got introduced to the ring by the lead announcer. For two and a half years, he did not make the slightest change to his gimmick. It got stale, and the fans hated it. Then, out of nowhere, he made a surprising change of alignment. He almost immediately got a world title shot against a long-time veteran, and fans started to warm up to him. About six months later, due to a sudden incident that made a wrestler unable to compete, WWE rushed to make booking changes, and this Superstar reverted back to his original alignment. His new gimmick was an inverted version of his gimmick of the last six months, before slowly transitioning back to his original gimmick. The fans who started to like him once again couldn't stand him. Is this wrestler R-Truth or Alberto Del Rio?

This wrestler spent a very short time as an Ax-Crazy heel, but smarks revere his work during that period and he has become an Ensemble Darkhorse. However, most of his career was spent as a kid-appeal low-card face, and his face work is held in very poor regard by the IWC. R-Truth again, right? Actually, it could also be Doink the Clown. Wrybread2 has noted that if the above were said about a tag team rather than singles wrestler, and allowing for a longer time as heels (and for not being in the WWE), the description would also apply to The Sheepherders.

This wrestler made his name on various national circuits under his real name before joining WWE, where he was given a stage name. His first big break came as being the most experienced member of a major heel stable. After he left the stable, he eventually formed a wildly popular babyface tag team. However, the one thing this wrestler is known for, above all else, is his one word catchphrase. Are we talking about Faarooq or Daniel Bryan?

This wrestler had a productive career in various wrestling promotions but is today mostly remembered for an embarrassing stint in WWE. Terry Taylor or Chris Harris?

Lemia

An extremely idealisticDisneyprincess with strawberry-blond hair dreams of finding her true love and falls in Love at First Sight with a handsome prince she sings a love duet with and agrees to marry him on the spot. However, when the princess has to undergo an unexpected journey to places she's never been to before due to the actions of a queen, she meets a gruff but kind-hearted man who expresses disbelief that she'd marry someone she's known for only a very brief amount of time and who she eventually develops feelings for. When the princess is put under a magical curse from the aforementioned queen that will kill her if true love doesn't save her in time, it's initially assumed that the prince she met before her journey will be the one to save her with True Love's Kiss but it doesn't work and The Power of Love that frees her ends up coming from an unexpected source. Now, is this princess named Giselle or Anna?

An exceptionally buff and strong male protagonist with a name that begins with T in a film titled after him has grown up away from human civilization and consequently goes through a Fish out of Water plot when he enters said civilization for the first time. His love interest is a brainy and adorkably awkward girl named Jane who has a passion for a certain scientific field and he helps get her journal back after it's confiscated. The protagonist's father is put into mortal peril by the film's villain, and the film ends with the protagonist leaving human civilization to reunite with his family. Is this protagonist best known for swinging from vines or with hammers?

Logicbutton

This dark-haired character had a supporting role at best, but her specialized talents and her upbeat personality in a world of darkness made her a fan favorite. She was relatively innocuous, rarely present in more suspenseful moments, until somebody she cared about was threatened by a dangerous and remorseless murderer and she displayed great bravery in acting in his defense. Unfortunately, the murderer discovered and overpowered her - though not without a fight. Her cliffhanger of a death happened just offscreen, but elicited a huge reaction from its horrified audience.Is this character's distinctly feline name Nepeta Leijon or Beverly Katz?

This team of superheroes is the focus of a popular franchise in the new millennium, adapted from a much older comic book. The team leader is a driven, duty-minded warriornote Robin, Captain America and other members include a wisecracking tech expertnote Cyborg, Iron Man, an alien warrior of the royal persuasionnote Starfire, Thor, a shapeshifter associated with the color greennote Beast Boy, the Hulk, and a broody female with a dark pastnote Raven, Black Widow. The team is brought together in order to stop an alien invasion. Other enemies include the alien warrior's renegade siblingnote Blackfire, Loki, a power-mad sociopath who claims he and the team leader are Not So Differentnote Slade, Red Skull, a smooth but slimy egomaniac who goes transhuman to take on the tech guynote Brother Blood, Killian and a malevolent, overwhelmingly powerful cosmic entity whose name starts with the letter "T"note Trigon, Thanos. Are they the Teen Titans or The Avengers?

A species of alien nomadic scavengers who are often depicted with glowing eyes and hidden faces, and are well known for their technological skills even though other species treat them like dirt. Are they jawas or quarians?

Don't let Animation Age Ghetto fool you; this "graphic novel" deals with mature themes, as is typical of its creator. You can see it in the backstory of its morally ambiguous protagonist: he does not know the identity of his father due to the large number of men his mother sleeps with, and his mother is negligent and sometimes downright abusive. He walks in on his mother having sex with one of her many sexual partners and is punished severely for it, mentally scarring him and causing him to abhor love and sex. At one point in the story, he is put in an institution where he is given the Rorschach test. He is also wanted by the police for some part of the narrative. We're talking about Rorschach, right? Perhaps, but it could also be Shogo.

This animated fantasy film with an Animesque art style stars a magical horned horse-like animal who started out as a Unicorn. This character realizes that something important to her is missing and goes on a potentially dangerous quest to where humans live to find it. She ends up becoming a human herself, and thus loses her magic. However, her skin color stays the same as her coat color. After having a Freak Out, she tries to settle into a human lifestyle, but the main villain is suspicious of her, eventually figuring out what she truly is and trying to stop her from receiving what she came for. Our heroine falls in love with a handsome male human who loves her back despite her strangeness. Helpful advice is received from a talking housepet. During the climax, the protagonist battles a demonic fiery red beast with fangs, and manages to save both her boyfriend and all of her own kind. However, the film ends on a bittersweet note, as the heroine transforms back into her true self and has to leave her human boyfriend without giving a proper goodbye. Is the main character Almathea or Twilight Sparkle?

Not so much Surprisingly Similar Stories as Surprisingly Similar Romances: a boy with long, dark hair and a hinted-to-be-unhappy home life is in possession of incredible powers that would ostracize him from society if he didn't keep them hidden. He is the only person he knows in this situation until he meets a girl going through the same problems. Frightened by her blossoming powers and the effect they might have on her happy family, she is suspicious of him at first, but warms up to him as they bond over their common understanding. At one point, the boy uses his powers to punish another kid who was making fun of the girl, which she does not take kindly to. When they are discovered by other empowered beings, the two join opposing factions, the girl’s being good and the boy’s being bad. The boy resents all those on the girl’s side apart from the girl herself, particularly the leader of the group, with whom he develops a fierce rivalry. The relationship between the boy and the girl becomes strained despite the boy’s attempts to win her over, because the girl disapproves of the bad people he’s spending time with. This culminates in a tense standoff in which the girl expresses her disgust for the boy’s behaviour and refuses to see him again. She ignores his further attempts to talk to her. In the end, however, the male character leans toward the good side, and even joins it at one point, motivated by his feelings for her. Are they Severus Snape and Lily Evans or Lance Alvers and Kitty Pryde?

This character is an immortal seventeen-year-old named Edward who sparkles frequently. They both belong to popular but very polarizing and fanservice-laden series of the late 2000s/early 2010s. Is he... Edward Cullen or Estonia?

Two blonde, teenaged siblings live without parents in Central Europe (or at least a society heavily resembling it) during the first half of the twentieth century. The older sibling, a no-nonsense soldier who is fiercely protective of the younger, is voiced by Romi Park; the younger, a more mild-mannered soul, is voiced by Rie Kugimiya. Are they Edward and Alphonse Elric or Switzerland and Liechtenstein?

This young woman has difficulty controlling her incredible powers, which can cause severe damage if used recklessly. In fact, she first discovers their full extent by nearly killing a loved one by accident. Frightened and ashamed, she runs away from home and winds up in a snowy wilderness. People who want to help - and some who want to use her for their own purposes - go looking for her, but she is suspicious and slow to trust. If I said that her powers wind up giving a girl a white streak through their hair, it would be obvious that this character is... Rogue or Elsa?

The spiky-black-haired hero, who has a symbolic association with the phoenix, gets to know a rather awkward, redheaded Cowardly Lion named Ron and his more competent brown-haired love interest. Two of their opponents include: a sneering blonde Attention Whore and a mysterious, brooding man with a vendetta against the protagonist. The latter irrationally blames the hero for the Plot-Triggering Death of a woman he loved romantically while the hero loved platonically, and is a polarizing figure in the fandom. Are they Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, and Severus Snape from Harry Potter? Or how about Phoenix Wright, Ron Delite, Desiree Delite, Luke Atmey and Godot from Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations?

Pamina

This eccentric, strange-looking Cloudcuckoolander lives with no family, but has an assortment of good friends, at least some of whom are animals. Despite occasional moments that hint at inner sensitivity and loneliness, (s)he is generally very cheerful, and known for performing feats that would seriously injure or kill an ordinary mortal. In one installment of the series in which (s)he's featured, his/her family finally comes for him/her. (S)he exchanges tearful farewells with his/her friends and prepares to board his/her family's ship, but at the last moment (s)he chooses to staywith his/her friends instead.Gonzo or Pippi Longstocking?

PDL

He is a character that is incredibly well known. So well known that he's the first character you think of when you hear his name (A common male given name starting with the letter "M"). He's not only the main character, but he's also the mascot of his parent company and practically defines the very medium he mostly appears in, although he also appears in other ones from time to time (both of their respective series have crossed over with characters from the Final Fantasy series at some point). However, despite being so well known, apart from his status as a heroic Everyman, his personality is deliberately kept flat. His friends and enemies have more personality and characterization then he does. He also has a penchant for wearing White Gloves, has a high pitched voice for a male character, and the media he appears in is usually very kid-friendly. Is this Mickey Mouse or Mario?

Introduced in the 4th generation of this popular children's franchise, She is thought of as the highest authority figure in the land, although she isn't a queen. She is equally powerful, beautiful and mysterious in plenty of ways, but at the same time she is modest about her position and prefers to be a mentor figure to the protagonist of this installment. At one point though, she did raise a dragon. However, despite her status in the series, the fandom has painted her as a Memetic Molester. Cynthia, Champion of Sinnoh, or Celestia, Princess of Equestria?

An organization of Well Intentioned Extremists has an agenda to eliminate the access to Elemental Powers that the civilization and world of the series is based on. Their leader claims that this access to these elemental powers has caused nothing but pain and strife, a higher power has given him the right to rid the world of this access and will stop at nothing to achieve these ends. At first, they begin with simple protests and rallies, but as the story continues, they become more brazen and actively force the separation of the source from the local populace, committing acts of terrorism and eventually culminating in overthrowing the government. It is revealed that the leader of this organization was abused as a child by his father for the purposes of being a Tyke Bomb and that "The Face" of the organization has the exact powers that his organization is trying to get rid off.Is this Team Plasma or The Equalists?

This dark-haired and dark-skinned girl possess a unique and incredible ability for the setting, but was kept isolated for most of her life. As a result, she isn't used to others and lacks social graces. She met a teacher who helps her with her abilities who could easily be the Big Good but doesn't take a very active role in the story. At the beginning of the story proper, her only friend wasn't the same species and is usually thought of as very ferocious, but is very friendly towards her. As the story progresses, she gains more friends. The girl later masters this ability and gains an incredible power and a title through some sort of trial, but this is considered to be a Base Breaker for the fanbase.Is this Iris, Korra or Twilight Sparkle?

This character was once a member of a magical non-human race who live in a magical dimension and who was also once the pupil of a highly accomplished magic teacher. However, greed and pride took over the pupil's heart and became evil. The former pupil betrayed the teacher and later traveled to the alternate world of humans, also transforming into a human (or at least one with an odd skintone) and had stolen headgear of great magical power. With the help of another member of the magical race (who had also been transformed) a group of color coordinated heroes have to work together to defeat the antagonist. At the climax of the story, the antagonist transforms again, but this time into a demonic form complete with bat wings and fiery powers. Is this Vaati or Sunset Shimmer?

This videogame character appears to be a young-to-middle aged barefoot man, but is far older then he looks. He is very well known for his incredibly volatile temper and his way of solving his problems is mostly through fierce pummeling with his fists. Because of this, he is widely considered the bad guy by most of the other characters, but he's actually a good guy with a kind heart. During the story, he befriends a dark-haired girl who is far younger then he is, but he develops a soft spot for her. Also during the story, he is tricked by another character who appears to have his best interests for him, but he's actually a colossal dickweedwith reality warping powers and is the true antagonist. He also spends at least a part of the story in an insectoid form, but this is considered a massive spoiler. Needless to say, it ends incredibly badly for the antagonist. Is this Wreck-It Ralph or Asura?

This is a family of Accessory Wearing Cartoon Animals that are strongly associated with fruit of some kind. Collectively its their Trademark Favorite Food and you'll be in a world of hurt if you decide to mess with it or the family. The most prominent member of the family is well known for wearing a single piece of iconic clothing. This character is also quite strong and possessing an equally strong stubborn streak. This character has been around since the 80's, and was only given a whole family in a more recent iteration. This same character also has a younger relative who tags along that wears a red article of clothing on the head. There is also another relative who is probably the oldest member of the family. This relative's age is often made fun of, but is also considered a fountain of wisdom and knowledge on several fields, and when younger, was quite (and still is to an extent) a badass. Another relative has green eyes and is mostly known for being the opposite gender of the other three, and is quite popular as a result. At least one relative has long blond hair that is prehensile to an extent. Is this The Kong Family or The Apple Family?

A very long time ago, this character was once an ordinary person, but due to certain circumstances, ended up being separated from someone that they loved very much. Eventually it is revealed that this loved one had died at some point and the character never quite got over of that fact and still misses them dearly. At another point, this character was rendered immortal through unclear means and now wanders. This character happens to be extraordinarily old, extraordinarily tall and once known better by the protagonist, extraordinarily kind. This character also comes from a Nintendo game. Is this Rosalina or AZ?

Obese passive male character, treated as a Butt Monkey played mostly sympathetically, who is abused by an older male relative constantly for being sensitive and because the latter is just a Jerkass to everyone, appears to have exactly two friends, one of whom is completely insane, is usually portrayed as miserable but sometimes smiles and laughs, makes passive-aggressive or snarky comments, or even acts out, acts as the Only Sane Man in a ridiculous comedy, likes to write poetry and has an interest in alt-culture, occasionally gets revenge on the older male relative, is not quite human but close, and just so happens to have a voice that is very high. This describes PJ, right? Unless we're actually talking about Strong Sad.

Sometime in the '90s, we see a re-imagining of a previously-existing Jerkass. Here he owns a Honest John's Dealership in which he sells mostly cars that are outright broken and will fall apart immediately. He commits fraud regularly but also at least once or twice commits larceny. He is somewhat fat and ugly, though his wife isn't. He has an older son and a younger daughter, one of whom he never disciplines even though (s)he's a brat, and one of whom he is emotionally abusive towards even though (s)he isn't. He has also on at least one occasion forced his un-favorite child to watch TV. Though he's great at swindling people, he's not as smart as he thinks he is, and he outright disdains the idea of higher education. Now, the question is, is this man named Harry or Pete?

These powerful sun-themed monarchs were forced to fight their moon-themed sibling due to circumstances beyond their control. Are we talking about Princess Celestia or Kotaro Minami?

SlargTheGnome

A brilliant but ruthless Child Prodigy with severe older brother issues is orchestrating a war against a race of nonhuman creatures in a world far away from his home. However, this whole time he doesn't realize he's killing actual living things and figures the whole thing is just a big computer simulation. It isn't until immediately after the final battle that decides the war (and ends with a big explosion) that he's informed the entire thing was real. He is horrified to learn this and promptly goes into an Angst Coma lasting several days. Some time later, he feels the strange compulsion to go off in search of something and eventually finds what he was looking for: an egg containing the infant form of one of the creatures he terrorized, who will eventually grow into a powerful insectoid. He spends the rest of the series trying to atone for the atrocities he committed while taking the insectoid creature with him everywhere he goes. At some point when he was very young, he had something very painfully implanted in the back of his neck. Ender Wiggin or Ken Ichijouji?

This Anti-Villain from a classic and revered video game begins as a young boy whose Start of Darkness is the tragic loss of his older sister, whom he idolizes. Thousands of years later, he has become the extremely powerful and magic-wielding leader of an organization that violently antagonizes humans, but is in fact only manipulating said organization for his own ends out of an obsessive need to reunite with his sister. When he finally regains contact with her, she rejects him, believing herself incapable of being rightfully saved. He has both a younger and older persona, and the fact that they are the same person is considered the story's major reveal.Magus or Yggdrasill?

Two twin brothers with themed names and differing personalities are separated from each other at a young age after their family is broken up. After being severely injured and nearly dying (actually, he ''may'' have died) due to recklessness, the older twin is abducted by the Big Bad and Brainwashed/Reforged into a Minion, becoming his most feared and powerful enforcer. The younger twin, while unaware of this, is having problems of his own, as he is attempting to cope with the loss of his mother. Both twins have the same special powers and Chosen One status, meaning they must repeatedly face off against one another to determine the fate of the rapidly decaying world despite being only children, though the younger twin at least has his True Companions (including at least one Non-Human Sidekick) to help him out. However, the twins spend the majority of this time unaware of their relation to one another, as the older twin has had his memories suppressed and has a different appearance and identity (which comes with, among other things, a Cool Sword and big black wings). Also, given what happened to him at the start of the story, it's unclear how "alive" the older twin actually is. At any rate, the younger twin doesn't learn just whom he's been fighting until their final confrontation and is at least initially unable to fight due to the revelation. Meanwhile, thanks to the urging of a disembodied female voice, the older twin's memories (particularly of his mother) are resurfacing and destabilizing him. While their fight ends with the younger twin finally freeing his brother, thus ensuring the salvation of the world, the story ends with the older twin dying by his own hand... though admittedly the stories differ on whether the death sticks.Are the twins named Lucas and Claus or Koji and Koichi?

sumguy

A young boy loses his mother in front of his eyes. After being gifted with a special power, he decides to search for his mother's killer, who happens to wear a trechcoat and a beanie. For a while, he fights alongside the killer, then eventually confronts him. The killer reveals that that it was not his intention for the mother to die. The two are attacked, and the killer protects the boy. The boy later makes a resolve to fight for both his mother and the killer. Are they Hope Estheim and Snow Villiers, or Ken Amada and Shinjiro Aragaki?

The plot concerns two sisters who were close until an incident in which the younger sister almost dies. The younger sister’s memories are repressed to avoid any further psychological damage, only for her to endure crippling loneliness after the older sister repeatedly neglects her, leading her to develop an obsession to cope with it. The younger sister continues to desire a bond with the older sister, even after learning of the secret the older sister has been keeping from her for years. Eventually everything is settled, and the two share an awkward sibling hug. Are they Elsa and Anna or Lana and Ema?

This character's race was wiped off long ago in a cataclysmic event. He, however, managed to survive that event and awakened many years later. After receiving some training in the art only his people knew, he becomes the last of his kind (aside from the occasional side-story partner or antagonist) and the defender of his current home. This could be Superman, Goku, Aang, or Sub-Zero. (Feel free to add more examples guys I'm sure this isn't all of them)

This video game character looks young, around 20-30, but is actually much older due to being placed in a form of storage for decades, and they work for a Science Innovation Corporation. The building where they work is ridiculously large and dangerous, full of moats containing toxic goo and turrets with an improbable number of bullets. Escaping this facility is a near impossible goal, but they manage to do so anyway, despite having no supernormal abilities other than the unusual guns they are supplied with and a status as a Determinator. Neither of them says a single word through their entire journey, which gets a touch of lampshading. Their signature weapon is a gun with somewhat physics defying properties, and they're almost always portrayed in orange clothing. Chell or Gordon Freeman

An ethereal, animal-loving adolescent spends a century in suspended animation only to be awakened by the child of a local ruler. Sleeping Beauty or Aang?

This iconic British children's character is the last surviving member of an ancient, decadent species of Sufficiently AdvancedHuman Aliens, the rest of whom this individual wiped from existence note In one case, he wiped them from this existence and locked them away in another one. to prevent a war from ending unfavorably. This high, lonely entity wanders from world to world (and visited London at least once) and can charm many people into alliance (sometimes with the use of candy). The Doctor or the White Witch?

1810072342

A hermit-like solitary figure possesses unparalleled combat abilities in his chosen style. Rarely speaking, he seeks to make himself grow in power and desires to challenge the strongest warriors in existence, wherever they may be found. While an antagonist of the main character of his series, he is not evil in any real sense and will fight against evil just as much as the main character in his own way. However, when he encounters the main hero of his series he will not hesitate to start a huge and usually very dangerous fight with them. He is usually considered to be That One Boss and, in the Wii-PS3-XBOX 360 console generation, quite throughly broke competitive tier listing. The question is, is he Meta Knight or Akuma?

Thousands of years ago, he committed an atrocity in the name of ending a terrible war. Although it succeeded, he is still haunted by his actions today and has since then been abandoned by those he holds dear to himself. In the intermediate time he was wandered seemingly aimlessly, looking for something new he can devote his efforts to. Is this man The Doctor or Az?

A strand of alien genetic information that fell from space and underwent DNA mutation. It possesses a great level of power and is known to bond very strongly with humans. Is it the good and benevolent Deoxys or the chaotic and destructive Venom?

Similar in a way to the above one: Whilst on the surface they seem fairly normal, they possess the ability to copy any technique perfectly just by watching it. However, they have a limited memory of techniques and must displace certain memories to record new ones. If 'they' are a species, then it's Smeargle. If it's a person though, then he's Taskmaster.

Mr. Forsaken

As they are dragged into a conflict involving both humanity and a race of monsters, they undergo serious changes in personality. Despite experiencing pain and tragedies, they still try to help other people, even as the world around them crumbles and races towards apocalypse in a very lovecraftian style. However it is humans' own cruelty and bigotry that hurts them the most, taking from them their family. In the end they run to their Love Interest, only to find them murdered by humans for being associated with monsters. It's final straw that pushes them abandon humanity, leading to its extinction. Shiina Tamai or Akira Fudou?

Born in proud family, this person takes lead of possibly most powerful organization in the setting and use them to achieve their ambitions, which involve establishing completely new world order, with themselves at the top. Has mastered setting’s magic to the point of having no equals and develops a strong interest in one of the protagonist, who shows similar level of talent, trying to make that person join them. It is pointed in-universe that what that person might really wanted was to have a friend. In the finale that person’s most loyal and trusted subbordinate dies for their sake. Is that person Master Cyclonis or Yamato Hotsuin?

Mercuriesandrandomness

The character is a blue-haired girl in a Japanese work that centers around hope and despair. She's introduced as being rather close to the protagonist of the show, and she also has a connection to music. She is the second character on the show to die, which happens after she falls into despair and attempts to kill the show's protagonist. The supposed loss of someone she cares for is a major reason behind her fall into despair, and her death involves a sharp object. She is most commonly shipped with the red-haired person that kills her, and said red-haired person is among the next people who die. Finally, her name is Sayaka, and her last name starts with an M. Sayaka Miki or Sayaka Maizono?

The character is a Hot-BloodedAce who is known for playing a role in a school's governance. Their hair color has changed at least once, and their name also changes. They have a ton of Ho Yay with another character on the show and once that other person is taken away from them, they fall into a Heroic BSOD. Kiyotaka Ishimaru or Mana Aida?

A pair of Japanese females named Rika and Satoko who are among the younger members of a mostly-female group with at least three other people. One of the two is seen as a lot more mature that the other. Of the other people in the group, there is at least one person with a Dark and Troubled Past, at least one dead parent, someone with an older sibling, and someone named Hanyu. Now, are we talking about Rika Furdue and Satoko Houjou or Rika Hongo and Satoko Miyahara?

NoggEgg

The two character's names start with D. They also both have odd number letters in their names. They both wear black boots, round glasses and have dark colored hair. They both feel that they are Surrounded by Idiots. They are both considered social outcasts by their classmates. They both have a younger sister who hates them. They both have a workaholic parent who wishes they would get along well. They are both smart, and they can have a sarcastic streak. Are we talking about Dibor Daria?

[[AC : Starshock]]

He is a Knight Templar from France. He spent time in prison through no fault of his own. He dedicated his life to justice, and will not let anything (or anyone) stop him. Intelligent and aloof, with markedly, um, unique ideas about theology, his unbending adherence to executing justice comes off to many as draconian. He is utterly convinced of his righteousness, until he has a major crisis of faith. Partway through the book, he becomes suicidal. He is almost always depitched as having black hair. And his author was a famous Romantic of the French Ninteenth Century. Inspector Javert or The Count of Monte Cristo? You tell me, o wise and glorious Troper!

A idealistic young man with a strong moral compass obtains god-like abilities, and decides to use them to make the world a better place by stopping criminals. He is quickly given a nickname by the press, and there is much speculation about the true identity of this great crusader for justice. Eventually, he comes to the attention of a calculating man whose first and last initials are both 'L', and the two of them become archnemeses, with a good bit of Foe Yay. Clark Kent or Light Yagami?

Despite being a principal character in the story, this teenage boy takes the Emo Teen stereotype and moves it Up to Eleven — he seems to perpetually shift between angsty brooding and social awkwardness. To his credit, he can also be a Determinator, and his When He Smiles moments are quite heartwarming. His personality to a large extent originated because of his father, a Manipulative Bastard who sent him away from the family as a young child for not being good enough — and only later took him back when it seemed his son had something to offer him. (His mother loved him, but she disappeared from her son's life at an early age.) Luckily, he has an older adult in his life who serves as a cross between a guardian and a Trickster Mentor, trying to get him to lighten up and relax while also take his duties seriously. His peer group includes two girls of about his age, one who is contemptuous, bitchy, and often mean to him (although this behavior is a front to hide her own insecurities, which later bring her to the point of insanity), and another one who is unemotional and stoic. The character in question has romantic tension with one of these females (including an awkward kiss scene), and is related to the other one (which hasn't prevented some fans from shipping them anyway). In the end, the boy is forced to face up to the expectations others have placed on him, and realize that maturity means choosing his own path. Prince Zuko? Or Shinji Ikari?

A man and his wife become the emperor and empress of The Empire, they have a son and a daughter, and the wife disappears. Years later the man and his son have a fight and the son decides to leave home. Fast forward a few years later, and the son has joined a rebellion against his dad, while his little sister is still in favor. Towards the end of the series, the son finally confronts said dad and becomes emperor himself despite the expectations of every politically-savvy person in the country.The Fire Nation or the Britannian Empire?

A man from a BBC One series of the mid-Noughties, with a brown coat and a massive female fan base, played by an actor whose voice is completely different to his character's. He has various companions in different series, including one named Tyler, but he is in all of them. He is the rival and occasional friend of a time-traveller played by John Simm and is eventually saved by the character sacrificing himself at the end of the series. He's technically died at least once. The Tenth Doctor or Gene Hunt?

A charismatic former revolutionary who was captured by the regime he tried to defeat. Said regime commits Mind Rape and a mindwipe on him. The revolutionary breaks free of the programming, steals a veryCool Ship, and proceeds to raise hell. May have been trying to fight a greater evil coming from outside known space with said revolution. Before we get any real answers, however, he vanishes into the unknown and dies ignobly. Said cause was taken up by one of his followers who previously refused to go along with the revolution, gets a couple former crew members and two AI units from his/her predecessor, and the cool ship...only to die ignobly with the man whose influence s/he could never escape. Are we talking Roj Blake and Kerr Avon or Revan and the Exile?

One day, a young boy without a mother or father is recruited by a teacher from a school of magic. He quickly gets acquainted with other students, including an intelligent girl he becomes fast friends with, and a blonde male that views the boy as a rival that's getting undeserved fame. Using a strange power he had since the day he was born, the boy overcomes all odds and finds success. However, it is because of this power that his friends are constantly put into near-death scenarios. In the end, the young boy uses everything he's learned at the school to try and save it, and accepts that he might have to die for the danger to go away for good. The black-haired teacher that poses a threat to the boy near the end of his adventures had a really close relationship with one of the boy's parents. Was the boy named Harry, or Vayne?

He's a humanoid alien with special powers, who outlives the rest of his species. Except when he doesn't. He relies heavily on Obfuscating Stupidity, sometimes wears glasses even though his vision doesn't need correcting, famously travels in time and space, and frequently saves the Earth even though it's not actually his homeworld, which was destroyed. Depending on which version of canon you prefer, it's possible that his species has eschewed sexual reproduction in favor of more artificial means. He has cheated death through a technobabble-ish process that's described using the word "regeneration", and has a half-human clone. He almost never tells anyone his true name, instead going by a simple English descriptor; when he poses as a human, he has a standard name he uses, consisting of a first and last name that are both one syllable long and fairly generic. One of his most famous human companions is an intrepid young female reporter. He used to own a dog-like pet with amazing abilities, but gave it to one of his friends. His enemies include a genocidal alien cyborg with a network of wires running across his bald head and a megalomaniacal survivor of his own species, who often, but not always, has a Beard of Evil. He's spawned a long-running franchise. Superman? Or the Doctor?

An genetic experiment is undertaken by a group of scientists to create, from the genes of the strongest and brightest man/men on the planet, a superhuman. After two infants are born from this experiment, they're separated, with one being raised and taught by the best of the best to be an ubermensch, and the other is put through hardship for his life. In the end, we find out that one was deliberately made with the superior genes, while the other got the bad genes. Liquid and Solid Snake of Metal Gear Solid, or Jules and Vincent from Twins?

A girl with supernatural abilities travels through alternate universes, trying to find one that doesn't conclude in a Bad End. In every world, she relives mostly the same period of time, and meets the same people. In the end, she is able to make a "good" world with the help of her True Companions and The Power of Friendship, and settle down. And somewhere around exists a "dark" version of said girl, which may be a fusion of the girl's alternate-reality selves. Michikyuu Kanae or Furude Rika?

A nerd with few friends is consistently baffled by someone in pink who has many friends, and finds a rival prone to boasting and gloating who knows magic. Dexter or Twilight Sparkle?

A sociopathic scientist from a background of poverty, who's last name ends with "er" Worked under a corrupt government/organization. This creep swallows his morals to perform horrible bio-experiments that threaten human lives. Eventually, he's confronted for his evil and presumed dead. In truth, he's become a victim of his own experiments, reborn as a bizarre hybrid creature. This new entity soon becomes obsessed with undoing his human self's crimes, even if he has to commit many more to do so. Alex Mercer or Shou Tucker?

The booksmart son of the most legendary hero of them all who just happens to be a tad thick when it comes to scholastics. Was separated from his friends and family at a very young age and is fighting to save them. He's got a timid personality which covers a very deep rage which gives him great power in exchange for giving him poor judgement. It was only once he started training under his father's old enemy, a monster out of legend (who really isn't all that bad anymore) that terrifies everyone in the world and is simultaneously centuries old and only a little older than himself, that he started truly coming into his own strength. Eventually, after training under a blonde of legendary power in an area that had much more time and space on the inside than it did on the outside, he mastered a form that made him a blonde as well, and during a tournament championship battle against a completely broken monster that seems to be able to do anything, he managed to make himself even blonder and more powerful than before. At various points in his story, he meets a brainy and powerful time traveler that claims to be something of an alien and related to someone he knows, who is trying to change the future. Son Gohan or Negi Springfield?

A Loony Fan of a particular style of heroic fiction who attempts to live out his fantasies for real, complete with its simplistic views of morality, dragging along his somewhat more sensible best friend and making things much worse for himself in the process. Don Quixote or Gai Daigoji?

This young black-haired beauty has values that clash with those of her incredibly wealthy father. She falls in love with a young man (despite the bitter enmity between their peoples) whom she meets while he's trying to win a tournament to turn his desperate financial situation around. She saves his life, and there is mutual attraction between them for awhile, but he ultimately ends up with the girl he met before her (who is not a princess but is considered the incredibly important last hope for a victory, and was thus raised/sheltered/smothered like a princess all her life... a life she hates and thus rebels against her guardians' plans for her). She laments her loss but instead of turning into a raging Clingy Jealous Girl or Woman Scorned, she doesn't even get the least bit mad at or jealous of the other girl, and bears it all maturely through to the end. The Love Triangle launched one of the most absurdly unjustShipping fandoms in history. Is she Rebecca of York of Ivanhoe, or Asami Sato of The Legend of Korra?

Several years ago, a mysterious corporation (actually a subsidiary of another corporation, which have a small role in the plot, but are more important in other entries into the series) conducted experiments on a supernatural being, and accidentally caused a disaster. In the present day, they try to make up for their mistake by getting teenagers to fight the protege of the supernatural being. These teenagers have powers which are a combination of personal trauma and the supernatural being, along with parts of it's body. These teenagers are - a robot girl who wants to become human, the heir to the mysterious corporation, a young man with a strong connection to his little sister, a girl who lost one parent to the mysterious corporation and doesn't have a good relationship with the other (mostly because of said surviving parent trying to remarry too soon), and a young man who is very enthusiastic about being involved in the battle, but is kept out due to his enthusiasm (however, when it comes to the corporation's deadliest secrets, he manages to get a few victories). The protagonist is a dark-haired young man who tries to get emotional support in this confusing new world from his friends, only to discover that he is trapped in Dysfunction Junction. Add to all of this the religious symbolism and a Class Trip. Eventually they meet a new boy, who turns out to be the final one of the supernatural being's protege, and is also what is left of said being after the experiments. His death causes the cast to mope around until the end of the world, leaving an unresolved ending full of Fridge Horror, or there is another version where they try to fight. One character ends up dying, but can survive due to the fact that they Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence. Eventually, it falls to our protagonist to save humanity from it's own self-destructive wishes. Is this young man's name Minato or Shinji? There, now that you can't unthink it, go and watch this.

A young, idealistic protagonist befriends a much-imitated pirate with a very memorable method of speech and occasional trouble walking, who makes a point of insisting that he be addressed as a captain despite the questionable legitimacy of his claims to commanding. The pirate becomes The Mentor, before betraying the protagonist's side for the sake of power and financial gain. However, he turns out to be not so bad after all and puts himself in great danger to save the protagonist from being killed by the other pirates. In exchange for this, the protagonist helps the pirate escape execution by the British crown. The pirate's initials are JS. Does that stand for Jack Sparrow or John Silver?

She is the dominant power over her domain, she maintains a nuclear reaction, she has a thing for "testing" in some form or another, and she has made herself infamous for trolling. She is mostly white with yellow/gold accents, and she has a thing for cake that she will never live down. She's also appeared suspended from the ceiling. Princess Celestia, or GLaDOS?

Once upon a time, there were two siblings, one responsible for a major component of the day, the other of night. The night sibling felt unappreciated, and so decided to remove the day sibling's work. As a result, the day sibling sealed the night sibling away with a rock orbiting in space. However, the seal has begun to come undone... Nightmare Moon or He-Who-Made-Dark (look up SCP-435)?

A bestselling Urban Fantasy book series about the (often unpleasantly exciting) life of a wizard named Harry. He's Famed In-Story for beating down bad guys completely out of his league, but isn't very popular with the hidebound and old-fashioned wizarding authorities, who sometimes go out of their way to try to get rid of him; this isn't totally surprising, since a few agents of the Big Bad have infiltrated their ranks and made their way into important positions. His parents both died when he was very young, and he was raised by an abusive guardian before a Cool Old Guy wizard took him in and taught him about the right way to use magic and avoid The Dark Side. He's sometimes suspected of Black Magic anyway, whether this is justified or not. He uses Canis Latinicus spell incantations. He is an orphan whose life is strongly influenced by the legacy of his mother. She was killed when he was an infant by an evil lord using a supposedly undefeatable magic, but by sacrificing her life she greatly weakened the evil lord through a spell that is tied to her son's blood. Now the evil lord wants to regain his full power by killing Harry and undoing the effects of his mother's spell, but is Hoist by His Own Petard, in part due to the betrayal of a lieutenant he believed to be loyal. Potter or Dresden

This is a video game from the first half of the Noughties. A man, who is the shorter of two brothers, arrives in an exotic town. His plane has barely touched down when he is framed for a crime. The authorities let him go, with the provisos that he doesn't leave the location and that he does what they tell him. The man sets off on a quest which takes him all around the town and its surrounding areas, and spends much of the game trying to track down a portly individual who likes to pretend he's a good guy. The protagonist can use a jetpack. Is this man Carl Johnson or Mario?

A blue hero regularly defeats an evil robot-building scientist, picking up lots of new friends over the course of many games, including a red Friendly Rival. Later in the series, they meet an amnesiac character who turns out to have been created for evil purposes but who ends up catching morals and performing a Heroic Sacrifice. However, they prove popular enough to appear in the next game anyway with little explanation. Mega Man or Sonic the Hedgehog?

A black-haired, green-eyed boy with a miserable home life is approached by a mythological being and informed that he himself is no mere human, which explains the strange things that have happened to him up until that point. He is sent to an institution created especially for the purpose of teaching children like him how to use their supernatural powers. Features of the institution include magical beings as servants and competition between different factions among the students. In time the protagonist learns that even among his peers, he is special—he is the subject of a prophecy concerning a Dark Lord who is gradually regaining strength and followers after a crippling defeat some time ago. Our hero and his two best friends—a wisecracking Big Eater and a brainy girl with whom the protagonist shares UST—have several encounters with said Dark Lord and/or his minions over the course of the series, culminating in an all-out war between the forces of supernatural good and supernatural evil. Harry Potter, right? Are you sure it's not Percy Jackson?

A man is inspired by an encounter with a supernatural entity to attempt to assassinate a king. Meanwhile, his wife/girlfriend goes insane and ultimately dies off stage, possibly by suicide. The man also contemplates suicide, but is instead slain in combat. these two characters have the same creator. Hamlet or Macbeth?

A blond Idiot Hero is born shortly after his father dies protecting his comrades from an event machinated by a man that later opposes the hero again, as well as the hero's hyper-intelligent dark-haired loner rival/"best friend" who loses his family. The hero also has grey-haired mentor and a tsundere lady friend. Is the Hero Naruto Uzumaki or James Kirk?

These stunningly-beautiful, black-skinned nonhumans live underground and come to the surface only to raid for captives. They are considered to be some of the fiercest fighters in a World of Badass and as a race are Shrouded in Myth. They worship a power-mad goddess, follow a religion which teaches that they are the Master Race, and their aristocracy is noted both for its decadence and bloodthirstiness. Are they the drow of Dungeons & Dragons or the First Born of John Carter of Mars?

Boy gets famous for defeating a God-like villains. His two best friends get together in the end, and the boy gets an extremely powerful weapon. One of the bad guys turns out not to be quite as bad as he seems. His mentor is somewhat eccentric. Harry Potter or Ben Tennyson?

A young hero who defies their community's strict leader and leaves their underground home to wander the post-apocalyptic wasteland in search of their father. Kamina or The Lone Wanderer.

She's the female protagonist in a Disney movie. But unlike many other Disney heroines, she's smart rather than pretty. Her mother is dead, but she's very close to her father. Her father is excentric, by the way, even more than she is While she might not be a real action girl, she can still be tough in her own way. Belle or Jane?

This character is a princess from a fairytale story. She has a small floating being as an ally that guides her. At some point of the tale, the villainess who wields dark powers puts the princess into a deep sleep. In the finale, said villain transforms into a huge purple dragon and is killed by the good guys. By the way, the princess' name is Aurora. Is she from Sleeping Beauty or Child of Light?

A group of people become True Companions after weird circumstances bring them together. Among them, a headstrong blonde girl, a girl who looks sweet and innocent but actually can snap easily, a person who does not understand social conventions well, a sweet somewhat oblivious guy who had a brief attraction to the blonde girl who now is more familiar with the person with No Social Skills, a former amoral Jerkass who the blonde girl previously disliked but then had a sexual relationship with, and an older gentlemen who likes to be known as an authority figure, despite having a checkered past. Together, this group have adventures in and around a Weirdness Magnet location. Are they a study group or the Scoobies?

This character is a pink, fleshy amoral alien monster and the Villain Protagonist of a video game. It starts out small, entering a planet via a meteorite, and then begins messily devouring the wildlife, assimilating their abilities and growing larger in the process. Near the end of the story, it encounters humans and begins to eat them too. In the final encounter, the alien either succeeds in killing his final opponent, or dies out. Now, what is the alien's species? Is it an Eater or an Alien Death Slug?

TV Tropes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from thestaff@tvtropes.org. Privacy Policy